Collapsible display device



Filed Feb. 5, 1965 FIG. 2

United States Patent 3,203,124 COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY DEVICE Henry Kurt Stoessel, 21 W. 45th St., New York, N.Y.

Filed Feb. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 256,476 3 Claims. (Cl. 40--124.1)

a display device which may be collapsed to facilitate transportation, so as to occupy a minimum of space, and which may be readily erected when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display device of the type described which is relatively inexpensive to produce and which may be collapsed and erected without the necessity of using special tools.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a display device which may be oriented in a plurality of interesting shapes and which is three-dimensional, so as to include a plurality of advertising indicia bearing surfaces.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device in the erected condition; y t

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of one'component of the device in collapsed condition;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the component of FIGURE 2 in partially assembled condition;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 of a further component of the device;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary magnified vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1; 7

FIGURE 6 is a side view of further components of the display.

In accordance with the invention, a plurality of box blanks 16 are provided, the blanks in the illustrated embodiment being capable of being assembled to a cube forrn. While a cube form is not essential, it has been found preferable for advertising purposes.

The cubes 10a need not be assembled from the blank of the form indicated at 10, it being understood that various other forms of blanks may be employed.

A blank 10, when assembled in cube form, incorporates side walls 11, each of which is hingedly connected to adjacent side walls by common marginal portions 12. In addition, cube members include a top wall portion 13 and a bottom wall portion 14, hingedly connected, respectively, along a top marginal edge 15 and a bottom marginal edge 16 of one of the side wall portions 11.

Optionally but preferably, the cube members include reinforcing portions 17, which portions 17 are hingedly connected to top and bottom edges of side wall portions along fold lines 13. The reinforcements 17, in the erected condition of the cube, are well known expedients serving, when biased or maintained in the hollow cube, to prevent the side walls 11 from collapsing to the flattened or knocked-down condition shown in FIGURE 2.

The top walls 13 of the cubes are provided with apertures 20, which apertures register with complemental apertures 21 formed in the bottom Wall portions 14 in the to collapsing.

3,263,124 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 erected condition of the cubes. The apertures 20 and 21 are formed eccentrically, that is, non-centrally, within the top and bottom walls.

The top wall 13 and bottom wall 14 include locking flaps 22, 23, respectively, which may be inserted within the cubes and which will lie between the edge portions 170 of the reinforcing portions 17 and one of the side walls 11 of the cubes. With the portions 22 and 23 thus inserted or sleeved within the cubes, the later will provide a substantially rigid consrtuction which is resistant Conversely, it will be understood that when the flaps 22, 23 are removed from the inserted position above set forth, the cubes will readily collapse along the fold lines 12 to the generally flat condition.

The lowermost cube 10' is provided with retainer means for securing a supporting pole structure P which will ultimately be threaded through the series of cubes and form an integrated structure of such cubes. The retainer means 30 comprises a generally C-shaped member of cardboard or the like having securing branches 31, 32 fixed to side wall 11 of cube 10'.

The retainer means 30 includes spaced upper and lower flange portions 33, 34, respectively, which flange portions are spanned by a brace portion 35 which is hingedly connected at its upper and lower edges to the flanges 33, 34.

1 It will be understood that the flanges 33, 34 are similarly members 13, 14 of the cube 10, as best shown in FIGURE 5. Said flanges 33, 34 are provided with apertures 37, 38, which apertures, in the assembled condition of the cube 10, are in registry with the apertures 20, 21.

The device is assembled from the flat condition and supported upon pole assembly P, the later assembly being threaded through the registering apertures formed in the top and bottom walls of the cubes. The pole section P, which preferably comprises a plurality of nesting pole elements of varying diameter, includes a lower section 40 consisting of a lower pole segment 41 and an upper pole segment 42 extending therethrough, of lesser diameter than the section 41. The length of section 41 is such that it corresponds to the distance between the lower wall 14 of cube 10' and the undersurface of flange 33 of the retaining means 30.

It will be understood that the section 40 is assembled within the lowermost cube 10 by inserting the pole section 40 through aperture 21, the same being urged upwardly until the shoulder 43 provided at the upper end of the wider section 41 lies adjacent the undersurface of the top Wall 13 of cube 10'. Section 41 provides a close frictional fit with aperture 21 in the bottom portion 14 of cube 10 and apertures 37 and 38. It will be recognized that by reason of the engagement of shoulder 43 with top wall 13, pole section 41 cannot be removed in an upward direction, i.e. through the aperture 20 of the upper flap. Optionally, the diameter of aperture 20 may be great enough to permit passage therethrough of portion 41 and the aperture 37 of flange 33 may be of a size closely receiving narrow diameter pole section 42.

The assembly of the cubes is completed ,by sleeving or nesting the second section 44 of the pole assembly P over the projecting portion 42 of the first pole segment 40, the lowermost end 45 of section 44 having an inside diameter closely approximating in dimension the outside diameter of the element 42.

When the element 44 is thus assembled, the lowermost end portion 45 thereof will rest against the upper face of the flange 33 of the retainer means 30.

In like manner, an upper pole section 46 may be sleeved over a narrow diameter projecting portion 47 extending above the pole section 44, such operation being repeated until the desired height to accommodate the number of cubes required for the particular display is achieved. When the assembly of the pole P is completed, subsequent cubes 1011 may be assembled on the unit by sleeving the apertures 20, 21 over the pole sections, said apertures preferably providing a relatively tight frictional fit with the outer diameter of the pole P.

By reason of the fact that top and bottom flaps 13, 14 of the cubes are in engagement with each other in their stacked relation on the pole and by reason of the frictional fit provided between the top and bottom walls and the pole, the flaps 22, 23 extending from said walls are maintained within the cubes and, thus, the cubes are positively prevented from collapsing.

The action of the pole in preventing collapse of the cubes is important to the provision of an integral structure.

Hinged movement of the top and bottom walls out of the erected position is constrained in the display, in addition, by reason of the fact that the top and bottom walls must move in a radius or angular direction by reason of their connection with the side walls. Thus, any angular movement of a top or bottom wall of one of the cubes would serve to urge the pole toward the radius or hinged connection of the moving top or bottom wall. It will be readily recognized, therefore, that any attempt to pivot one of the top or bottom walls of one of the cube members from the erected position of the cube would result in urging the pole section P against the portion of the aperture furthest away from the hinged connection and the pressure between such parts would become increasingly great as further pivotal movement is effected. It will thus be realized that the pole serves the double function of providing a pivotal support for the individual cubes and at the same time locking each cube against collapse by preventing movement of the top or bottom wall of said cube out of locking engagement within the cube.

A similar function in maintaining the lowermost pole section 40 within the lowermost cube is served by the locking means 30. In this instance, by reason of the connection of shoulder 43 of the lowermost pole section with the undersurface of the flange 33, any attempt to move the lowermost pole section in an upward direction would serve to shift the aperture 37 out of mg istry with the aperture 20 and thus wedge the lowermost pole section with increasing tightness in the cube 10'.

It will be recognized that, if desired, some ballast (not shown) in the form of sand or a heavy object may be disposed within the cube 10.

The cubes, despite their frictional engagement with the pole P, may be shifted about the pole to any desired position and thus may be oriented in the form of a spiral or may be staggered and offset as shown in FIGURE 1. The use of ballast in the manner aforesaid will assure that the unit will not be upset, despite an unbalanced orientation of the cubes about the pole.

Optionally but preferably, at least one section of the pole P should be of a length equal to the longest dimension of the box blank 10 so as to reduce the likelihood of the pole section or the box blanks being bent during shipment.

It will be readily recognized that advertising indicia or the like may be disposed upon the side walls 11 of the cubes.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device comprising a plurality of foldable box members having hingedly connected side wall members, a top member and a bottom member, said top and bottom members having a hinged marginal edge connection with a top and bottom edge, respectively, of a side wall portion, a locking flap on said top wall portion and on said bottom wall portion, said flaps being insertable between opposed side wall members to lock said box members against collapsing, an aperture formed in said top and bottom wall portions, said apertures, in the erected condition of said box, being in registry and being eccentrically disposed in said top and bottom walls, a vertically disposed pole member comprising a plurality of connectible sections threaded through said apertures to permit horizontal, pivotal movement of said boxes about said pole member, said boxes being in stacked array on said pole with a bottom wall portion of all but the lowermost box member resting upon a top wall portion of the box immediately beneath the same, said lowermost box member including therein spaced, inturned flange portions paralleling said top and bottom wall portions, said flange portions including apertures in registry with the apertures of said top and bottom wall portions of said lowermost box, and said pole comprising nesting sections of disparate diameters, the diameter of the pole section within said lowermost box being of greater diameter than the aperture in the top wall section of said lowermost box.

2. An advertising display device comprising a plurality of hollow, collapsible cube members, registering apertures formed in parallel opposed faces of said cube members, said apertures being eccentrically located on said faces and a telescoping support pole comprising a plurality of nesting sections threaded through said apertures and forming a close frictional fit therewith, the lowermost cube including retaining means for securing said pole against removal therefrom.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pole includes a hollow lower section of a height substantially equal to the height of the lowermost box and having its upper end bearing against the under surface of the top wall of said lowermost box, said lower section having an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of said aperture in said upper flap, an upper pole section having a depending portion of an outer diameter fitting within said hollow lower section, the main body of said upper section being of an outer diameter greater than the diameter of said aperture of said upper flap, whereby the upper flap is sandwiched between portions of said upper and lower pole sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 829,064 8/06 Elder 40l45 1,655,876 1/28 Payne 40125 3,083,488 4/63 Goldstein 40l24.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 399,210 4/09 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, LEONARD VARNER,

Examiners. 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FOLDABLE BOX MEMBERS HAVING HINGEDLY CONNECTED SIDE WALL MEMBERS, A TOP MEMBER AND A BOTTOM MEMBER, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS HAVING A HINGED MARGINAL EDGE CONNECTION WITH A TOP AND BOTTOM EDGE, RESPECTIVELY, OF A SIDE WALL PORTN, A LOCKING FLAP ON SAID TOP WALL PORTON AND ON SAID BOTTOM WALL PORITN, SAID FLAPS BEING INSERTABLE BETWEEN OPPOSED SIDE WALL MEMBERS TO LOCK SAID BOX MEMBRS AGAINST COLLAPSING, AN MEMBERS TO LOCK SAID BOX TOP AND BOTTOM WALL PORTIONS, SAID APERTURES, IN THE ERECTED CONDITIN OF SAID BOX, BEING IN REGISTRY AND BEING ECCENTRICALLY DISPOSED IN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, A VERTIALLY DISPOSED POLE MEMBER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONNECTIBLE SECTION STHREADED THROUGH SAID APERTURES TO PERMIT HORIZONTAL, PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BOXES ABOUT SAID POLE MEMBER, SAID BOXES BEING IN STACKED ARRAY ON SAID POLE WITH A BOTTOM WAL PORTION OF ALL BUT THE LOWERMOST BOX MEMBER RESTING UPON A TOP WALL PORTION OF THE BOX IMMEDIATELY BENEATH THE SAME, SAID LOWERMOST BOX MEMBER INCLUDING THEREIN SPACED, INTURNED FLANGE PORTIONS PARALLELING SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALL PORTIONS, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS INCLUDING APERTURES IN REGISTRY WITH THE APERTURES OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALL PORTIONS OF SAID LOWERMOST BOX, AND SAID POLE COMPRISING NESTING SECTION OF DISPERATE DIAMETERS, THE DIAMETER OF THE POLE SECTION WITHIN SAID LOWERMOST BOX BEING OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE APERTURE IN THE TOP WALLSECTION OF SAID LOWERMOST BOX. 